We have begun a forty-day period of anticipation of a great event in the salvific work of our Lord – His coming-in-the-flesh in order that we, through hearing His teaching, through witnessing His healing, and participating in His death and resurrection, may become inhabitants of His Heavenly Kingdom.

The Holy Church prescribes for us, faithful, a period of fasting and prayer to prepare ourselves properly for greeting the great day of the Nativity of Jesus Christ. We are challengedby the Gospel reading on the eve of the Nativity Fast (Luke 14:25-35) to not simply greet Him in the tranquil and humble setting of the Cave, and then return to our previous routine of life, but to follow Him by bearing our cross every day and hating those relationships – with those people and, especially in our day, with those things – that hinder our struggle for the Kingdom of God. Let us use this advent season to break away from dark, destructive temptations keeping us from Christ, who is the Light and Life! Take advantage of this time to renew our dedication to the reading of Scripture, to regular prayer, to good works. Keep the fast, each according to theirstrength, as the Church prescribes. With determined will and with our gaze to the Heavenly Kingdom, abstain from those distractions which cause the “salt to lose its flavour.”(Luke 14:34)That is, make a decision to turn from those things which prevent us from being the disciples Christ is calling us constantly to be in this world: frivolous parties (that have little or nothing to do with Christ’s birth), excessive time on social media, overspending on unnecessary presents, etc.Recall that we serve a God who dwelt among us to serve. To save ourselves and inspire those around us to follow Christ and be saved, it is for us to learn and imitate this service to the people of God, that we may understand we are to be faithful stewards in this world and not presume to be masters of this world.

As hierarchs serving in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church outside Ukrainian lands, we are also compelled during this time to exhort you all to engage in fervent prayer for our ancestral homeland! Let us pray for the softening of hearts and return to proper discernment of those who seek to prohibit the confirmation of the See of Kyiv to her proper place as a loving sister within the family of local Orthodox churches; who attempt to diminish and discredit the good reputation and status of the Mother Church of Constantinople and, in particular, her Holy and Sacred Synod and of His All-Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew specifically.Let us prayfor those who, most tragically, in these past few days have once again shown a preferenceto act as an enemy rather than a friend to Ukraine by ordering and carrying out deliberate, unjustified aggression against Ukrainian naval personnel on the open seas. Let us prayfor the those struggling to establish a law-abiding, free, peace-loving Ukrainian nation. Let us pray especially for those charged with defended her lands, among whom are numerous wounded and captured as a result of discharging their loyal and sacrificial duty.

Assuring you of our constant prayers, we beseech your prayers for us, your hierarchs – for our health, wisdom, and strength as we strive to be good and faithful archpastors to you in these complicated and even dangerous times.

May we all walk together in peace and in tranquility to the Holy Cave and the Christ-child therein, Who leads us to salvation, eternal life, and the Heavenly Kingdom!

A blessed fast to you, all!

With love in Jesus Christ, our Lord,

+Yurij, Metropolitan, Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada

+Antony, Metropolitan, Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA and Diaspora

+Jeremiah, Archbishop, Ukrainian Orthodox Diocese of Brazil and Church South America